The Airbus A321 was preparing to land in dense fog and heavy rain.The Airbus A320, operated by Pakistan's national flag carrier, was due to land in Karachi at 2:45pm local time (09:45 GMT) after an hour and a half in the air after departing Lahore earlier in the day.A senior civil aviation official told Reuters earlier that it appeared the plane was unable to open its wheels due to a technical fault prior to landing, but it was to early to determine the cause.

The Sindh provincial health department said it had recovered 57 bodies, while PIA chairman Arshad Malik said finding all the dead could take two to three days.He said a search operation would continue until midnight.The engine was sounding then it struck three houses and crashed.

Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar also expressed deep grief and sadness over the incident and has ordered the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board to conduct an immediate inquiry into the crash.

Karachi's Jinnah International Airport is the national airline's main hub.Airbus will provide full assistance to the investigating authorities.”.Malik announced an investigation into the crash, adding that the aircraft was in good working order.

Governor of Sindh province Imran Ismail has said that PIA has been asked to provide shelter to those people whose houses have been destroyed.The rules transgress Peca and infringe on rights.In a chilling final conversation with air traffic control, the captain the aircraft had lost power from both its engines on its second attempt to land, according to a recording posted on monitoring website liveatc.net.

Local TV stations reported that three people sitting in the front row of the aircraft survived and aired footage of a man on a stretcher they identified as Zafar Masood, the head of the Bank of Punjab.

Pakistan resumed limited domestic flight operations last week, after a lengthy suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more than 1,067 people in the South Asian nation, according to the government data.Witnesses said the plane appeared to attempt to land two or three times before crashing near the airport.Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: “Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash.

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Kathy Gannon and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad; and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed.Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each postthe same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. A resident, Abdul Rahman, said he saw the jet circle at least three times, appearing to try to land before it crashed.

This Single Mom Makes Over $700 Every Single Week
with their Facebook and Twitter Accounts!
And... She Will Show You How YOU Can Too!>>See more details<<(March 2020,Updated)

The airport in the northeastern city of Lahore, where the flight originated, initially said there were 107 people on board but that number was later revised down to 91 passengers and seven crew members. "We are proceeding direct, sir -- we have lost engine," a pilot said.Pakistan had resumed domestic flights earlier this week ahead of the Eid-al Fitr holiday marking the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Airworthiness documents showed the plane last received a government check on.The flight from the northeastern city of Lahore typically lasts about an hour and a half.Pakistani news outlet HUM News has broadcast images of ambulances ferrying bodies from the scene, while huge crowds of onlookers wait nearby.

Soon after the said conversation, the control tower lost contact with the pilot.

Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased.”.Powered by e-Dynamics - Software Department.Urban Search & Rescue Teams are being sent on site for rescue efforts.

Perry Bradley, a spokesperson for GE, said the firm was "aware of reports of the accident and is closely monitoring the situation.".He tweeted: "Deeply saddened by tragic #PK8303 plane crash in Karachi; thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones.Get regular updates from Business Recorder directly on your device.

Asad Ishaq, who lives a few streets away from where the plane crashed, told the Guardian there was panic in the area.Speaking to the media outside Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho said that officials were currently in the process of identifying the deceased in order to inform their families.

PIA spokesperson, Abdullah Hafeez, added in a statement: Saying anything right now would be premature.The aircraft, PK 8303, an Airbus A320 was carrying 91 passengers and 8 crew members.Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sources said the captain reported a technical fault and the plane disappeared from radar shortly before it was due to land at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport.